Russian President Vladimir Putin recently reintroduced conscription – the Russian draft – to help overrun Ukraine and immediately felt a backlash from his people as men of military age endeavored to high-tail it out of town. But hold it right there, comrade. Not only is your country forcing you to join up, but the neighboring nations don’t want to let you cross the border. The international press, adding fuel to the exodus, reports that some young reservists are mutilating themselves in hopes of a free pass from combat.
“The entry of Russian citizens in tourist purposes into Finland endangers Finland’s international relations,” Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters earlier this week. The statement was made publicly after 17,000 young people of draft age, an 80% increase from the previous week, went on vacation to the hotspot northeast of the motherland. Wary of becoming the last gateway nation into western Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone has finally gone the way of other border nations shutting out Russian draft dodgers. Baltic states and Poland are claiming Russian tourists pose a national security threat. Estonia went so far as peer pressuring Finland into joining them or sitting alone at the all-inclusive European Union lunch table. Latvia and Lithuania are both a hard no on Russian visitors. Jeez, where are the Canadians when you need them?
Back Door Russian Draft Dodging – Closed
Putin opened a can of worms by announcing his “partial mobilization” of around 300,000 citizens – he also prefers to call his aggressive attack on Ukraine a “special peacekeeping operation.” But whatever one calls the war that began in February, few citizens are eager to get involved. There have been 54 attacks on recruitment centers and military administration buildings since the invasion began, with 17 in just one week after the mobilization announcement. People have been critically injured, 2,355 protesters have been arrested, and human rights organizations are updating their worst-case scenario pages minute by minute.
Vladimir Putin (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
According to OVD Info, an independent media rights organization focused on Russia, protesters in custody were given subpoenas to appear at military registration and enlistment offices. Now, that sends a message. Putin signed new legislation punishing – with a ten-year prison sentence – anyone who dares to rally against conscription, refuses to join the army, deserts, or surrenders. Siberia or Finland? It is no wonder many Russian draft dodgers would rather be safe in Finland, dining on sauteed reindeer and squeaky cheese than rotting in a Russian jail.
Even Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo publicly advised closing the bloc in the face of the Russian draft. “I think it cannot be the intention in Europe now to say ‘yes’ to all Russians who are conscientious objectors,” he said, “or who do not agree with the regime in Russia. Today we hardly hand out any visas to Russians, and I want to keep it that way.”
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted this helpful response, “Latvia will not issue humanitarian or other types of visas to those Russian citizens who [seek to] avoid mobilization.”
And now Finland is putting the hammer down and threatening to build a wall – imagine, if you will, the inhumanity. Currently, the thick forest-covered border with Russia is marked with signs and plastic lines for its 810-mile length. Those hopeful refugees will only be able to seek asylum at specific points: or turn around.
The Island of Putin
Finland’s closing of its border to Russian citizens means that all land crossings connecting Russia to Europe are blocked. Apparently, most conscription-aged (18-27) Russian citizens aren’t interested in the war in Ukraine. And although death tolls are as yet unverified, Ukraine claims to have taken 55,000 Russian soldiers’ lives while losing 9,000 of their own. And if those numbers are even remotely close to accurate, today’s draft dodgers have calculated the odds and are unwilling to step into the line of fire.
